Prosecutors still receiving evidence from Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Boulder police Officer Sam Carter poses with the elk that was shot late Tuesday night at Ninth and Mapleton in Boulder. (Photo courtesy Roger Koenig)

Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett

Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett expected to receive the final pieces of evidence in the Mapleton elk shooting investigation Wednesday, but said an announcement on whether or not the police officers involved in the killing will be prosecuted likely will come Friday.

Garnett initially had said a charging decision could have been made by as early as last Friday, and then revised that estimate to say he expected to be able to make that decision by Wednesday.

But Wednesday morning, Garnett said the DA's office was still receiving some evidence from Colorado Parks and Wildlife that prosecutors will need to decide whether charges should be filed against Boulder police officers Sam Carter and Brent Curnow in the New Year's Day shooting and disposal of a bull elk in the Mapleton Hill area.

"There's a lot of evidence in this case, and much of it is electronic," Garnett said. "My office should receive all of that (Wednesday). It looks like we should be able to announce a decision Friday."

Garnett said the final pieces of evidence that his prosecutors are looking through are cell phone records detailing calls between Curnow and Carter.

"That's what has kind of been the delay," Garnett said. "We got that (Wednesday) morning, and that is one of the last things we need to look at."

According to Boulder police, an on-duty Boulder police officer encountered an elk near Mapleton Avenue and Ninth Street late on Jan. 1 that he said was injured and needed to be put down. The officer shot the animal with a shotgun, and an off-duty Boulder officer came to pick up the carcass with the help of an on-duty Boulder County sheriff's deputy, later identified as Jeff George.

The officer who shot the elk did not report the incident or notify his supervisors he fired his weapon that night.

Police have not said whether Carter or Curnow fired the weapon, but Carter was on duty that night and Curnow had called in sick.

The Boulder Police Department is conducting an internal personnel investigation into Carter and Curnow, who have both been placed on paid leave. George also is subject to an internal probe, but he has not been suspended from duty.

The killing of the elk has caused an uproar in Boulder's Mapleton neighborhood, where residents say the animal had been seen for several years. A candlelight vigil and a silent Pearl Street march have been held in honor of the elk in recent weeks.

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